We are proud to present the latest publication in our Chimurenganyana series, an oral history of Wala Wala Bok? the historic album by Galsen hip hop pioneers Pee Froiss, as told to writer Samuel Lamontagne.
Few groups embody the spirit of Dakar hip-hop as Pee Froiss did in the 1990s and 2000s. Hailing from Fass, a neighborhood often associated with hardship, the group formed in 1993 with rappers Xuman and Bibson. Soon joined by rapper/
singer Kool Kocc 6, singer Sistah Joyce, and DJ Gee Bayss, the group became staples of the city’s rap scene before releasing their first album Wala Wala Bok? in 1996. This project is one of the earliest hip-hop albums produced in Senegal. It is also among the first rap albums to rely almost exclusively on Wolof, Senegal’s most spoken language, to describe the realities of Dakar.
Standing on the shoulders of rap crew Positive Black Soul, local giants with international respect, Pee Froiss became a voice for the voiceless, linking hip-hop with political struggle. Their song “Makowax” became an anthem for Senegalese youth, asserting the presence and aspirations of a new generation.
This oral history, made of extended interviews with the members of the group, situates Wala Wala Book? in its context – the cultural politics of the so-called SAP generation (for the devastation that followed implementation of IMF and World Bank “structural adjustment programs” of the 1980s). The book also features archival materials from this period, including stills from music videos, a transcription of Jean-Jacques Lion’s seminal documentary Hip Hop Sénégal, as well as a bibliography and discography of Galsen hip hop up to the year 2000.
Please join us for a special presentation of the book at the 6th edition of the African Art Book Fair at the Musee des Civilisations Noires in Dakar, from 3pm on Saturday 21 November 2027.
To purchase Wala Wala Bok? A Rap Album by Pee Froiss head to our online shop or visit Chimurenga Factory at 157 Victoria Road, Woodstock.
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